Rematch

Everybody was looking at him like it was dinner time and he was a juicy steak.

"Why are they looking at me like that?" Riku asked Jin, who for some reason, wasn't competing for any stage at the moment.

"Well, word might have gotten around that you only recently started training." Jin mentioned. "Usually, half the ten ranks would be us Five Elements. But now Tu is out, and you're a Novice, so… this is the biggest chance they'll ever get of earning a rank."

"But Aulonia and the Ji cousins are here!" Riku protested.

"Yeah… I don't think those facts have fully registered yet." Jin scratched his head. "Or maybe they just wanna say they beat a member of the 5 Elements."

A strange line had begun to form on Stage 10. "What's going on over there?"

Jin took a look, then nodded to himself. "Ah. Right. That again."

"What 'again'?!"

"They're lining up to challenge you. The agreement is, whoever is on Stage 10 at the moment will cede the place to the next challenger. They'll figure out who gets the stage after everyone who wants to have a shot at you has taken it." Jin said. "I should know. That happened to me the first time I joined a Ranking Tournament."

"So this happens to everyone the first time?"

"No, just you and me."

What followed next could best be described as a chain disaster for the Regular Disciples. One by one, they went up to Stage 9 to beat Riku up…

And Riku let them. He just stood there, covered in Stone Skin and Earth Armor, and let them throw everything they had at him. Nine Stage 1 Adepts and five Stage 2 Adepts hit him with everything they had, punching, kicking, tackling, grappling…

Riku didn't even raise a hand in defense. He just Observed them all. The longer they fought, the more they tried, the happier he was. Why should he even try to stop them?

When he fought Thyme earlier, he had been badly beaten; one of the main reasons was that Thyme didn't give him any time to raise his defenses. But right now he was already fully covered in Earth Armor, and while maintaining it took some effort, the excitement from Observing so many techniques being thrown at him for free more than compensated for the tiredness.

In the following half hour, Riku was assured of one thing; as long as he had his full Earth Armor on, none of the Regular Disciples who were Stage 1 or Stage 2 Adepts could cause any harm to him. Not as long as they were unarmed.

At last, the chain of challenges ceased. Everybody who wanted to take a shot had taken it and by and large they all agreed; nobody could take him down. They simply couldn't get through that Earth Armor.

Riku felt a tinge of regret, but at the same time, he was exhilarated to know that he was well protected.

"Move on, Riku. Don't just stand there. There are still seven stages you can challenge ahead." Master Huang reminded him.

More challenges. That meant… more techniques to Observe! Riku wondered if he was getting greedy but surely it was all right to be greedy for knowledge? Or would curiosity kill the cat? Did it even count as curiosity, or was greed for skill better described as a lust for power?

Either way, Riku wasn't about to let this opportunity up. He went on to Stage Number 8.

Altan was there, looking very sour. "You! Don't you ignore me, too!"

"Who's ignoring you?" Riku asked. "I promise, I'll keep my eyes on you very carefully."

So he said, but then Altan just stood there, staring back at him.

Riku watched, and Observed, but Altan didn't do anything.

Neither did Riku.

"Hey, are you guys going to fight or what?" Jin yelled. "I know you're both defense-types, but this is getting ridiculous! Somebody throw a punch or something!"

But Altan didn't move. At last, Riku sighed, thought back to Altan's Golden Bell technique and figured it would only activate when he hit it, so…

[System, is the Wing Flurry Hands Technique ready?]

[Analysis and Adaptation is complete. Awaiting Practical Application…]

"Let's do this!" Riku pounced. Concepts and theories of the technique flickered in his mind.

A centered balance. A tight abdomen. The inner muscles of each arm pulling together, upper chest muscles. Lengths of Life Force with high elasticity like rubber-bands. Waist movements to support, thighs tightening or pushing forward to emphasize and empower the small movements and added life force for hidden power added to the edges of the hands so that the flurry of fast, 'light' blows exploded with deadly force.

There was more, something about circular force and a running cycle of energy, but all that was for the more advanced forms of the technique. At its most simplistic, the Wing Flurry Hands was basically a lot of fast chops.

Riku dimly remembered the sound of his secondary school bell ringing when it was time for a period change or recess. The constant hammering of the tiny mallet upon the bell…

Altan's Golden Bell sounded like that now when Riku let loose on it. Observation percentages climbed rapidly, 40%... 50%... 60%...

Altan concentrated, sweat dripping down his forehead visibly, but all too soon, his Golden Bell began to flicker, and weaken, and some of Riku's chops almost got through.

With a gasp, Altan rallied his strength, poured his whole effort into keeping up his defenses just a little more, trying in vain to outlast Riku…

Did he know? Did he know that Riku didn't even feel his counter-attack? That the counterforce he relied upon to defeat all his previous foes had absolutely no effect on Riku?

Looking at the way he still struggled, probably not. Riku felt a bit bad for him. Maybe there was another way to beat him, something other than a death of a thousand cuts?

Riku considered, then sighed and felt he owed that much to someone who so cooperatively just sat there and let him practice and Observe so easily. But Altan was at his limits, so that was the end of Observation. Riku decided to end it in a spectacular manner.

With a roar, he leapt, both feet off the ground, both hands raised high in a joint fist. Altan had one moment to look up, startled, eyes wide…

And then Riku's Earth Armored Double Fist hammered down and his Bell projection shattered. Altan himself crumpled onto the stage floor.

Riku waited for a bit, but Altan did not get up. He just lay there, panting.

"Stage 8, Riku wins." Master Huang announced. "Next."

But there was no 'next'. Between Stage 8 and Stage 9, the vast majority of the Regular Disciples had had enough. Nobody challenged Riku anymore. If Riku were to go on fighting, he could only challenge higher ranked opponents.

Looking ahead of him, Riku found most of the stages settled. The only other person going around challenging stages was Zhizhu Aulonia. She was fighting ferociously, as if Wu Ardent was her lifelong enemy. As for his next stage…

Zhong Bounty was climbing up on it. Clearly, he'd just been knocked off, and only returned when Aulonia left it.

"This could be interesting." Jin mentioned. He was still off the stages, accompanying Riku as a spectator. Why didn't he compete? Riku had no idea. "Bounty is famous for his Bamboo Breaker Fist. That's a really strong attack technique, Riku, he might actually be able to break your defense."

"What level is he at?" Riku asked.

"Stage 2 Adept. He's got the highest attack power among all the Stage 2 Adepts in the Regular Disciples."

Riku breathed. "Well, let's find out. If my defenses can stop him, then…"

The person on the Stage 6 was Thyme. It was only yesterday that Thyme knocked him out before he could even gather his Earth Armor. This time, if he got through Zhong Bounty, Riku would have his Earth Armor already in place for his rematch with Thyme.

"Come on." Riku challenged Zhong Bounty.

"Well met, Huang Riku. I have heard much about you…" Zhong Bounty began. He actually started chatting almost casually as he feinted, threw a serious punch, then withdrew, testing Riku with light, flickering attacks, looking for an opening without ever staying still, his feet a constant dance, closing in briefly before pulling back cautiously. He did not commit his full strength, not yet.

Riku tuned out his voice, Observed his Stance, his attacks, even his feints.

Finally, there was a heavy impact and a splash of soil. Riku grunted – he actually felt that one. But the impact was spread through his whole armor, and Riku felt no pain, just a bit of shock.

He stared at Bounty. Bounty stared back at him, both of them with wide eyes.

"Nice punch." Riku commented.

Zhong Bounty tried again. A full-powered Bamboo Breaker Fist, from point-blank range slammed into Riku's Earth Armor. As he felt it, Riku grinned. Now he KNEW none of the Regular Disciples at Stage 1 or 2 Adept could harm him with his Earth Armor up.

"Sorry." Riku apologized in advance, then whacked Zhong Bounty over the head. Zhong Bounty stumbled back, then ceded the stage, hopping off it voluntarily.

Finally, Riku hopped over to Stage 6 and faced Thyme once more.

"Get him, Thyme! Beat him down again!" Ji Basil, already off all ten stages, cheered from the sides.

"Kick his tail!" Ji Iris raised a fist. "Take no prisoners!"

Thyme didn't waste a second. He charged in so fast, Riku barely saw a blur. There was a loud THUD, and Riku felt the impact, saw the soil of his Earth Armor splash…

Then, there was a short pause.

"That didn't hurt." Riku marveled.

"It's over." From the side, Jin sighed.

Thyme hammered at Riku with a series of punches, his strongest kick, a full on tackle…

WHAM! "Urg…" Thyme staggered back.

"That's all?" Riku marveled. This guy… since the Earth Armor was already up, Thyme didn't even hit as hard as Zhong Bounty. He hit faster, for sure, but Riku barely even felt the impacts in the end. He would have been disappointed… if he hadn't been busy Observing his techniques.

Finally, Riku countered. After a strained strike that left Thyme full of openings, Riku brought both fists together on both sides of Thyme's head.

"Oooh…" Jin turned away. "I can't look. That has GOT to hurt."

Thyme seemed to agree. He staggered, swayed, then raised his fist again. "Cheater! Try facing me without that fancy earth power of yours and see!"

"Nah." Riku added a kick that Thyme had to stumble back to avoid. Then he started chasing Thyme around the stage.

It might have been comical, since they weren't really moving very fast. Thyme could barely move, and Riku had the extra weight of Stone Skin and Earth Armor on top of him. It was a rather sorry show.

Even Master Huang couldn't bear to watch it for long. "Enough! Thyme, do you concede?"

"I…" Thyme gritted his teeth, then finally said. "I concede."

"Great!" Riku didn't even bother to take the stage from him. He just went on to the next stage.

On the next stage, Aulonia was waiting.